1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to a wireless communication system that provides telephone, data and Internet connectivity to a plurality of users.
2. Description of Related Art
Several systems are currently in place for connecting computer users to one another and to the Internet. For example, many companies such as Cisco Systems, provide data routers that route data from personal computers and computer networks to the Internet along conventional twisted pair wires and fiber optic lines. These same systems are also used to connect separate offices together in a wide area data network.
However, these systems suffer significant disadvantages because of the time and expense required to lay high capacity communications cables between each office. This process is time consuming and expensive. What is needed in the art is a high capacity system that provides data links between offices, but does not require expensive communication cables to be installed.
Many types of current wireless communication systems facilitate two-way communication between a plurality of subscriber radio stations or subscriber units (either fixed or portable) and a fixed network infrastructure. Exemplary systems include mobile cellular telephone systems, personal communication systems (PCS), and cordless telephones. The objective of these wireless communication systems is to provide communication channels on demand between the subscriber units and the base station in order to connect the subscriber unit user with the fixed network infrastructure (usually a wired-line system). Several types of systems currently exist for wirelessly transferring data between two sites. For example, prior art wireless communication systems have typically used a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) or Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) type system to facilitate the exchange of information between two users. These access schemes are well known in the art.
Some systems use a combination of indoor units that reside within a building and outdoor units that are typically mounted on the rooftop. The indoor unit connects to other devices that communicate user data across the wireless system. The outdoor unit typically is connected to an antenna for communicating with other base stations or hubs within the system. Within a conventional outdoor unit is software and hardware for controlling outdoor unit functions. As can be imagined, if the software within the outdoor unit becomes corrupted, or needs updating, it must be reprogrammed. Unfortunately, conventional outdoor unit systems are reprogrammed from serial port interfaces on the outdoor unit. This requires a technician to access the outdoor unit on the roof. Moreover, there can be a significant time lag from the time the outdoor unit software becomes disabled to the time a technician can get on site for a repair.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a simple, effective, on site system for reprogramming software in the outdoor unit of a wireless communication system. The present invention provides such a system.